LEED Platinum features

Interactive, real-time data for energy use and solar production in the Franklin Environmental Center

“This building is a powerful example that green architecture doesn't demand a cleared site and a new foundation—that we know tricks enough these days to make any building work both for its users and for the planet.”

Bill McKibbenScholar-in-Residence in environmental studies

“I love that even with the new updates, the building hasn’t completely lost its old quaint country vibes. You really have the feel of being in an old farmhouse.”

Julie Erickson ’08ES/conservation biology major

Sustainable Features

Rethinking Energy

To minimize energy needed for air conditioning, only essential spaces (The Orchard and two offices) are cooled using a geothermal exchange system. Cold water from an underground well cools a fluid that circulates through the building cooling the air for these three rooms. This process minimizes electricity use and decreases greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional air conditioning.

This building uses 47% less energy than a standard building of the same size. CFC-free insulating foam (icynene), energy efficient windows (double glazed, low-E coating, argon-filled), and airlocks ensure that the building envelope is extremely tight and energy efficient. Additional efficiency features include appliances that use less energy like the “on demand” hot water system and an Energy Star refrigerator.

Beyond energy conservation, much of the energy that the building does use comes from the solar panels on the roof. The installation consists of 38 panels and can produce a maximum of 8.5 kilowatts (225 watts per panel). These panels were made by SunPower, a large solar company headquartered in San Jose, California with other offices all over the world. The photovoltaic cells absorb solar radiation from the sun and convert it into electricity for the building. With the installation of photovoltaic solar panels, the Environmental Center is able to reduce its C02 emissions, reduce long-term energy costs, and exemplify using renewable resources.

Going Local

Middlebury College sourced numerous materials locally within the state of Vermont.